Listen to a few productivity podcasters, making it simple to think that dozing is a superpower: more than a sticking plaster following restless night, but a shortcut to a better memory, improved mood and perhaps improved athletic performance. Premier League athletes swear by it – and so are musicians, mixed martial artists & high-profile executives. However, if you lack a dedicated nap-room or a job that allows regular snoozing, can there *honestly* worthwhile perks to a burst of shut-eye to merit the effort? Does there exist a surefire technique to nod off promptly? Furthermore, can you honestly promise you will get up feeling improved, not worse?
Understanding The Reasons for Napping
“Experts note three primary motivations for daytime sleep among most adults,” explains an expert sleep science researcher. “One is known as make-up sleep, essentially the action you take following insufficient sleep overnight. The second is pre-emptive sleep, where you are pre-empting a sleep deficit coming up, for instance if you’re working graveyard shifts. The third reason is “appetitive drive”, which essentially is about the wish: you get a chance to sleep in the daytime, and it's enjoyable to indulge.”
The initial step to do, then, is to examine your reason for napping. “Napping can be genuinely useful when night sleeping is disturbed because of factors beyond your control – such as, for caring for an infant, or if you are healing from sickness or heavy physical exertion,” says a sleep specialist. “Yet when you take a nap since your night sleep feels fragile or poor, that can be an indicator your sleep drive is not where it should be. Under those circumstances, daytime sleep can turn into a contributing factor, not the solution. Utilize daytime sleep for brief periods for temporary issues – the main goal must always be a strong and predictable overnight rest.”
The Optimal Snooze Time
Therefore that napping must not be sufficiently lengthy to disrupt your nighttime sleep, and ideally shouldn’t take place in the late afternoon (depending on when you sleep at night). What's a reasonable length? Guidelines are mixed. From the most-cited studies about napping, experts noted that astronauts had improvements of over 50% in alertness and a 34% boost in performance post a 26-minute snooze (technically, this involved an initial six-minute falling asleep phase). “My advice is using an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – most people fall asleep within 10 minutes,” says a sleep expert. “There is plenty of recommendations regarding the perfect length for sleeping, yet that often lead individuals to become more worried than anything else – and the most counterproductive thing you can do when attempting to fall asleep is worry about it.”
Should you decide to sleep for longer, steer clear of the period between 45 and 60 minutes that promotes that sluggish feeling, that foggy state when you wake. “Research suggests it’s better to take a lengthier snooze of one to one and a half hours than a medium-length one,” notes the expert. “45 minutes is enough time to send you into slow-wave sleep and you’re more likely to feel groggy when you wake up – however, if you take it slightly longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you’re likely to finish a natural sleep cycle and should get up feeling more refreshed. But if you nap for a long period, it may impact your sleep in the evening.”
Establishing an Ideal Snooze Setting
As for exact methodologies, advice differs. Some experts suggest adopting comparable habits one would use to encourage quality nighttime sleep: a silent space, a cozy bed and maximum darkness as is feasible. Others suggest that it's fine to just doze on the sofa in whatever light is present – to prevent post-nap grogginess and to maintain your bed as the environment you associate with *real* sleep. “Napping is quite challenging to will,” says a specialist. “Without any sleepiness, it is tougher to lie down and practically tell yourself to nod off. There must be some drive present to start the process initially. I can usually nap in broad daylight and awaken on my own without a timer, but what helps a lot of people is to anticipate a time where they feel naturally slightly tired and calmly ease into sleep.”
Experimentation is key, and when you have few options – such as, if you’re trying to fit in some shut-eye during a commute or in a soundproof office pod – it's acceptable with bringing some accessories. “In my work with professional sportspeople, I advise that they don’t get used to napping in bed, as they’re going to have|they will
